Essential Oils of Aerial Parts of Crassocephalum rubens (Juss. ex Jacq.) S. Moore and Cardiospermum grandiflorum (Sweet) Stem

Aim: This paper presents the essential oils constituents of aerial parts of Crassocephalum rubens and stem of Cardiospermum grandiflorum. C. rubens is a Nigerian vegetable used as a nutraceutical and traditionally has been used as antibiotic, anti-helminthic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-malaria and blood regulating agents. C. grandiflorum (Sapindaceae) is considered a noxious weed in Australia and South Africa. The leaves are taken as vegetable in Ghana and have application for dermatological troubles, chest problems and fever. The plant has also been used in the treatment of jaundice, cough and kidney problems.

Methodology: The essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus designed to British Pharmacopeia specifications and analyzed using Gas-Chromatography/Mass-Spectrometry (GC-MS).

Results: Oil yields were 0.52% and 0.09% w/w for C. rubens and C. grandiflorum respectively. Fifty-six compounds representing 97.5% of C. rubens oil were identified. Main constituents in the leaf oil of C. rubens were monoterpenes; limonene (81.1%), (Z)-β-ocimene (4.6%), terpinolene (3.4%) and (E)-β-ocimene (2.2%). Oxygenated derivatives were detected at trace amount. Sixty-three compounds were identified that represented 97.8% of the essential oil of C. grandiflorum stems. The essential oil was characterized by high content of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons that accounted for 91.2% of the whole oil followed by 3.7% oxygenated sesquiterpene. The main compounds were germacrene D (26.2%), (Z)-γ-bisabolene (15.5%), β-caryophyllene (13.9%) and germacrene B (7.9%).

Conclusion: This paper presents essential oil components of C. rubens and C. grandiflorum that are scanty in the literature. Characterized compounds in each plant could be responsible for their ethno-medicinal activities.